Why is it that all good calculator manufacturers also have a dark side? I have an RPN calculator made by HP. But they are the single worst thing that has happened to printer ink.
They'll make anything you need
Submitted 11 months ago by The_Picard_Maneuver@startrek.website to [deleted]
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Comments
BillMurray@lemmy.world 11 months ago
RegalPotoo@lemmy.world 11 months ago
Because if you are a microchip manufacturer in the 70s:
- Calculators are a reasonably good revenue stream once you’ve developed a chip, but needs a ton of upfront investment
- Defence contractors have essentially unlimited budgets from DoD, need chips, and are more than willing to pay for all the R&D to get what they need
The entire US tech and aerospace industries are built on what is effectively massive government subsidies in the form of weapons contracts
RIP_Cheems@lemmy.world 11 months ago
I thought I was general electric, I love working on machines like washers and dryers, and I love the sound of an a-10 warthog turning something to nothing.
kusuriya@infosec.pub 11 months ago
calculators to help you do math and guns, checks out for Texas.
TalesFromTheKitchen@lemmy.ml 11 months ago
I bought my last calculator for school in 2009, I think? Now I’ve got the hiper calc app which is pretty decent. Ha! Take that, math teacher “you’ll never have a calculator in youpocket all the time.”
gentooer@programming.dev 11 months ago
I’ll take my TI-84+ over my phone anytime tho
vrek@programming.dev 11 months ago
My favorite example of this is is Hitachi. They are basically only known for vibrators and large construction equipment… How those got combined in one conpany I have no idea.
MasterNerd@lemm.ee 11 months ago
Fuck Texas Instruments. All my homies hate Texas Instruments
Seriously trying to charge $100 for a calculator running 50-year-old hardware (the ti-84’s CPU, the zilog z80 was created in 1976). Fucking ridiculous
AI_toothbrush@lemmy.zip 11 months ago
But at the same time as a semiconductor manufacturer i really like them. They have high quality ics for literally everything. I think that they are so big that the different parts of the company dont even interact.
lemmyman@lemmy.world 11 months ago
TI USB controllers and switching supplies are half of my BOMs
protist@mander.xyz 11 months ago
But they seem to last forever, so there are a ton available in the aftermarket. My TI-89 from 1997 still works like new, and I plan to bequeath it to my son
EvokerKing@lemmy.world 11 months ago
Only the ti83-84 are shit. The old ti89 and newer ti nspire are actually really good. I bought a ti89 on eBay for $20 and even though it is 20 something years old it’s still better than there new ti84 color stuff.
Landless2029@lemmy.world 11 months ago
It’s also a racket because all the freaking textbooks used it so it because require to have that exact one at my school
PeterPoopshit@lemmy.world 11 months ago
But they make the z80 and they’re so proud of the shitty 8 but processor they made in the 70s they they’re forcing people to use it.
user1234@lemmynsfw.com 11 months ago
They may be expensive for what you get, but they’re built to last. Still using the TI-83 that I got in 1997 and it works as good as the day I got it.